Livingston Volkswagen Complaint - Salesman Knowingly Lied

WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA -- I am a recent immigrant American and greatful to this country. When I came here I did not know that there is such a thing as carfax, where I could find out all information about a car.

In February 2006 I went to Livingston Volkswagen dealership in Woodland Hills, CA. I liked black VW Passat 2002. I drove it and everything seemed to be working fine.

I asked the salesman if the used car has been in an accident before. As I remember the salesperson's name was Tai or Tsai, I'll find his business card and give you his full name later.

The salesperson told me that the car is in perfect condition and had never been in an accident of any kind. I trusted his professionalism and thought that it should be a good car because it was a Volkswagen official dealership. Recently I have discovered (by carfax) that the car had been in a major accident.

Also, because of the accident the car had some major problems that I had to immediately repair. As I also discovered those problems were not covered by the dealership insurance that I paid extra $2,000 for.

As I also found out all dealerships ran carfax reports and check vin # on all cars before they get them, so it's impossible that he did not know. I also asked another person at the dealership and he also said the car never been in accident, works perfectly, has been checked, etc...

I contacted them, explained my concerns, but they never replied or even attempted to call me back or e-mail me back...

Sorry to hear about your situation. It is an unfortunate way of life that the majority of car salesmen will tell you what you want to hear to make the sale. Consider this an expensive lesson in researching a car before purchasing. Don't expect too much back from them. Just be sure to let every one of your friends/family know to steer clear of this dealership.

Posted by *Brenda* on 2006-09-05:

I thought with used cars you should always get a Carfax report BEFORE you buy it... If the dealer didn't offer me one I'd get my own.

Posted by Anonymous on 2006-09-05:

You could talk to a lawyer and maybe go to small claims court. But you might be better off to take *Brenda*'s and Sparticus advice and be ready for the next time. Welcome to the USA..

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2006-09-05:

They have what is called the "Lemon Law"...check into it and see if you have a case here...Car dealers always mislead people for that commission...I asked about the history of the car I bought and the salesman told me it was a one owner car and that the guy traded or sold it because he wanted a smaller car and told me when the owner dropped the car off, he gave it a kiss goodbye because he hated to part with it...YEAH RIGHT! I did buy the car (of course it had problems right after I bought it)because it was the kind of car I wanted and no other car dealer had what I was looking for...I checked the CarFax website and..well...he didn't COMPLETELY lie about it, it was only owned by one owner....A RENTAL COMPANY! ! !

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2006-09-06:

I think there is something like a $20 fee for the dealership to run a Carfax report, but it may be well worth it in the end. And, Like JayD said, you have to request it.

Posted by *Brenda* on 2006-09-06:

The lemon law in CA only applies to new vehicles during the first 18 months after delivery or the first 18,000 miles; whichever comes first. http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/lemon.htm

If the salesman told you there was no prior accidents and you have proof that he had knowledge of the carfax report you may have a case for fraud but that probably will be hard to prove.

Posted by *Brenda* on 2006-09-06:

Like that link says, there are consumer protection laws that govern any consumer puchase with an express written warranty that may help you. Was the dealership "insurance" an extended warranty? I think your best bet would be to consult with an attorney to see what options you have. Good Luck!!!